Ontario · HTA s.46 / POA s.69
How long is a suspended licence in Ontario?
How long a suspension lasts depends entirely on why it was imposed, and the two most common causes work completely differently. A demerit-point suspension has a fixed length — 30 or 60 days. A suspension forunpaid Provincial Offences fines has no fixed length at all.
How long each suspension actually lasts
| Cause | Duration | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid Provincial Offences fines | Indefinite — until paid or an extension is approved | POA s.69 / HTA s.46 |
| Demerit points — full licence (G, M) | 30 days, at 15 or more points | O. Reg. 339/94 |
| Demerit points — novice (G1, G2, M1, M2) | 60 days, at 9 or more points | O. Reg. 339/94 |
Our practice focuses on these two causes. Criminal Code suspensions (impaired driving, over-80, refusal), medical suspensions, and Family Responsibility Office suspensions for support arrears follow separate processes with their own rules, and we don't handle them — see the full picture on our suspended-licence page.
Can you get a restricted or work licence?
No. Ontario has no general hardship, work-permit, or restricted-licence exemption for a driving suspension — whether it's for unpaid fines, demerit points, or a conviction like distracted or stunt driving. There is no version of an Ontario licence that lets you drive only for work, or only for essential trips, while suspended. Driving at all during the suspension is what turns an administrative problem into as.53 driving-under-suspension charge.
How to end an unpaid-fines suspension
Because the suspension has no expiry date, ending it means resolving the fines directly — either paying them or getting them onto an approved payment schedule. If you are still piecing togetherhow an unpaid ticket becomes a suspension in the first place, that guide walks through each 15-day step. Oursuspended-licence intakewalks through the three-step process: pulling your Ministry (ICON) driver record to confirm exactly what's outstanding, applying for extension-of-time-to-pay at each Provincial Offences court involved, and defending any s.53 charge in parallel if you were caught driving on the suspension.
Sources: Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s.46; Provincial Offences Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.33, s.69; O. Reg. 339/94 (demerit points). Penalties and durations are current as at the last review date — verify against thecurrent Highway Traffic Actbefore relying on them. Legal information, not legal advice.